Wisdom from Above - Pastor Gary Taitenger
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"Wisdom from Above" - Pastor Gary Taitenger - (Building Healthy Churches, Part 2)
Sunday, May 1st, 2022
James 3:17-18 - Wisdom from Heaven ("Strategies from Heaven")
- Peace-loving
- Considerate
- Submissive
- Full of Mercy
Review: Our church is not "our church", it is our Saviour's church.
- Canada needs healthy churches and needs our church to succeed!
- Peace, forgiveness, apology
- You do the right thing!
- Seek Peace!
- Fruit of the Spirit
- Importance of a Culture of Peace - The Great Commission...be an out-bound church!
Change = change + stress... ruptures churches that don't understand a culture of peace...
Change = Growth!
- Growing churches have a culture of change. They don't stay the same! ("If you're green you're growing, if you're ripe, you're rotting!")
Plateaued and declining churches deliver what the "already reached" like and are used to.
- Preference driven rather than purpose driven.
Commitment to a culture of peace and faith progress -
- Welcome: "Get ready to change!"
Culture of Peace:
- Take responsibility for your role.
Leaders:
- Should be easy to folly
- When they think/act ten steps ahead - perceived as a Leader
- But if they are 50 steps ahead? that is perceived as the enemy
- Many people equally informed seldom disagree
- 1 Timothy 6:11 - "But thou, O man of God...follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."
Followers:
- Should be easy to lead... types include:
- radical
- progressive
- conservative
- traditionalist
- Unity not unanimity
- Convoy unanimity paralysis
- Hebrews 13:17 - "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you."
Building a culture of peace depends on a culture of love and wisdom from above. (Godly wisdom.)
On the flipside, "Disorder" depends on 'wisdom from Hell'!
- It is characterized by: quarreling, jealousy, anger, factions, gossip, slander, arrogance and disorder.
Slander/Gossip:
- Slander - false charge or a truth circulated with the intention to damage the reputation of another.
- Gossip - talking about a problem with someone other than the direct participants or in a position of authority to arbitrate or solve (someone who is not a direct part of the problem or solution.... and disguising it as prayer doesn't count...that is still gossip when sharing names/private details the other person wouldn't want shared! Be careful...gossip is sneaky!)
What to do about it:
*Be open to reason...
- be considerate
- reasonable/think logically not emotionally
- never obstinate (don't be stubborn...be willing to change...flexible)
- conciliatory - have an intention of restoring goodwill and reducing hostility
- be willing to yield
Gentleness -
- be open to other's views
- ready to be persuaded
- easy to be entreated
Pure - (the litmus test)
- clear your conscience
- what should you apologize for?
- divisive people usually haven't apologized for anything
Peacemaker -
- peace loving
- forgive eachother
- help settle their grievances
Ephesians 4:29-32
- 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Guard your church - Protect the culture of Peace!
Don't give the devil a foothold!